Andros Townsend

[Parsley]

... you'd play Sturridge ahead of Kane and Vardy then.............?

If Sturridge was bang in form and fully fit, I'd start him with Kane. He's a better player than Vardy. As he's not fit, hasn't played in the recent friendlies and has had a mixed season on the whole, Vardy starts. He can still be a big asset off the bench though IMO, even if not 100% fit.

 

I like Sturridge, but as you say, he's out of form, and semi injured. You say that england are making the same mistakes again by picking a player just because he's at a big team, but I would make the point that they're making the same mistake again by picking a half-injured player who is out of form, purely because of his reputation.

 

I want form/confidence/health in my squad, and therefore Rashford is the preferable option. Although I would've been fine with bringing neither tbh.

 

Take your point re. Sturridge and being picked on rep/past performances. Do think he's a class act and worth the gamble though. 8 in 14 for Liverpool isn't terrible considering he's been in and out of the team and few, if any in the England squad, are capable of scoring that goal against Sevilla for my money.

 

What annoys me re. the Rashford pick isn't that he plays for Man Utd FWIW; he's clearly a talent and has played his way into the England conversation with his performances in the second half of the season. I just can't understand how, in the space of 2 mins or however long it took him to score, he's gone from being an almost token inclusion, brought in solely for a bit of friendly experience, to being a nailed-on cert for the final squad. All because of 1 goal. Against Australia. For me, Roy's just picked him to appease the media hype and has unbalanced the squad in doing so.

[Kimbo]

I think Hodgson is all over the place, 4 fullbacks and 3 CB's, and one of the 3 is carrying an injury. 5 strikers when we will start with 1 up top, and one of them is injured. Then in the midfield it's hard to see Henderson or Barkley having much impact, and Wilshere will have to be nursed through the tournament. Drinkwater and Townsend never stood a chance did they.

[chicago_shearer]

A bit puzzling why you'd drop a player like Townsend who actually offers something different from the bench. He could be useful after Wilshire/Henderson/Rooney produce the usual terrified, awful English tournament football and you need to change the game (before the panicked Rashford sub in the last 10 minutes).

[Shays Given Tim Flowers]

I doubt Rashford will feature. I can see Vardy being the panic sub. Kane and Rooney starting.

[TRon]

I don't have any problem with Rashford or Sturridge, both have shown something special, but it should have been one or the other. We don't need 5 strikers, but we did need a genuine winger. Sterling is more of a wide forward, and Milner is more of a wide midfielder.

[KaKa]

I think the 5 strikers thing is because he's thinking Rashford can play out wide and Rooney central also.

 

Townsend is just so direct though, and unlike so many in the team can really shoot. Should have been included, no question.

[Kanj]

I'd have Townsend over Sterling any day of the week based on form and mentality.

[Guest palnese]

 

 

England will really struggle for a Plan B if (read when) this diamond bollocks fails.

 

Five strikers and no-one to serve them from wide areas. The likes of Milner, Henderson, Barkley, Sterling, Lallana and Vardy are all more or less central players with very little to show for when pushed out wide.

 

Think England will struggle to get out of their group.

[SEMTEX]

Only team with a 100% win record in qualifiers marra.

[joeyt]

Drinkwater not missed but Townsend? Maybe

 

“Drinkwater in the middle, and Kante either side” – and with that Leicester’s head of recruitment Steve Walsh gave Roy Hodgson his most convincing argument against taking Danny Drinkwater to the European Championship. He has thrived in a formation England do not play alongside a player that England cannot replicate. As harsh as this may sound, Drinkwater is not one of England’s best central midfielders when removed from Leicester’s system and Leicester’s players. Winning the Premier League does not change that.

 

Hodgson is the manager of England and his job is to pick the 23 available players he believes will contribute to tournament success; his job is not to ‘reward’ players for good seasons. Drinkwater no more deserves an England place than any other player considered by Hodgson, who has watched the Foxes’ midfielder in training – something often disregarded by those who claim to know better than the actual manager – and on the pitch for England and decided that he has not made a compelling case.

 

Certainly he was poor against Australia on Friday. Was the system to blame? At least a little because Drinkwater excels in Leicester’s two-man central midfield rather than in a crowd, but in a scenario when a fringe player plays in a different system to his national side, it is the player who should adapt. Unfortunately, he looked utterly lost and out of his depth without Kante to his left and right. Those who call for England – two years into a successful campaign – to adopt Leicester’s tactics are being wilfully naive.

 

Drinkwater deserves our sympathy because a previously locked door has been opened ajar and then slammed shut and it really isn’t better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but the player himself would probably admit that Jack Wilshere is a more gifted footballer. He may quite rightly glance back at Jordan Henderson and wonder quite what he has done in 25 underwhelming England performances to earn a place on the plane, but England’s advancement in this tournament will not be decided by whether Drinkwater or Henderson is on the bench.

 

Not taking Andros Townsend could make such a difference. As I wrote in 16 Conclusions after the initial squad announcement: ‘In a squad that screams ‘much of a muchness’, Townsend is one of the few potential match-winners. With him on the pitch – presumably as an impact sub – nobody will be left wondering what would have happened if only somebody had taken a shot. With their left foot. Really hard.’

 

Against Australia, Townsend was on the pitch for 15 minutes and dribbled past three players; Ross Barkley was on the pitch for 28 minutes and was dispossessed three times. In the three months since Townsend joined Newcastle, he scored four goals; in the same time frame, Barkley scored twice against a Newcastle side still being managed by Steve McClaren. Barkley may be the more technically gifted player, and certainly he has his outspoken fans in the media, but in a 1-0 down with 15 minutes left on the clock scenario, Townsend would be my choice to make an impact.

 

Of course, the caveat is that Hodgson has seen more of all 25 players in training – arguing with his selections is like making a proposal after a two-minute speed date – but it feels like not taking Townsend is an opportunity missed. We might not lose in the quarter-final because Drinkwater was on the bench, but we could conceivably lose because Hodgson looks towards his substitutes and wonders who is going to target that slow, exhausted full-back. Dynamic, direct and now discarded.

 

http://www.football365.com/news/drinkwater-not-missed-but-townsend-maybe

 

Good piece this

[Gallowgate Toon]

Gutted for him, he should be going.

[jdckelly]

can only assume he's bringing 5 strikers because he's worried (rightly) sturridge will break something during the tournament. Picking Ross Barkley seems kinda insane considering how garbage he's been

[Adam]

Barkley has been utter hoop since Christmas, why he is going I have no idea. Andros is the perfect impact sub, quick direct and crosses the ball (sometimes). I never thought we would win, but these selections dont help improve the odds. Sterling has done nothing this season, Sturridge isn't even fit no way they should be going.

[STM]

Sturridge, Sterling, Henderson and Barkley? Silly woy!

[toontownman]

Absolutely gutted for him, think he would have been a great option of the bench. Lets hope someone gets injured and he can be on standby or is that already too late?

[Ronaldo]

Stupid to leave him out. You look at his last 10 games for club and country and he should have been one of the first on the plane.

[Klaus]

For selfish reasons, it is probably good for us that he is not going.

[pinkeye]

Wiltshire and Henderson barely kicked a ball all season yet they are going??

 

I was at the match on Friday last week in Sunderland, Henderson was absolutely shattered by the end of it.  It will take at least 10 full matches before he is up to full match fitness...  Wiltshire has every chance of breaking into 1000 pieces (along with Sturridge) leaving the squad depleted and completely lacking a plan B....

 

Gutted for Townsend, if anyone deserved a shout it was him.

[The College Dropout]

Milner is the only handy wide player we have now Townsend isn't going.

[Tubestationatmidnight]

Milner a handy wide player ?

 

Wilshere getting picked ??

[The College Dropout]

Apparently Milner has had loads of assists this season. Not sure where he's been playing but L'pool fans seem to rate him

[Hanshithispantz]

Milner's looked handy on the wing whenever I've watched Liverpool after their little revival. Klopp clearly rates him too.

[Tubestationatmidnight]

Knew he had a few assists but average player at best just works hard which should be the minimum. Still can't understand how that little prick Wilshire gets picked though! Even if he wasn't made of glass, he's awful.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

It was always a long shot for Townsend, but there are average and unfit players going which I find strange.

[Foluwashola]

Townsend's form probably came too late. Drinkwater not going is an absolute disgrace tbf.